We All Fall Down
by palomasnapples
Summary: He doesn't care if whatever is out there ruins him, but he will never let it touch Carlos. AU. Eventual Cargan/Kames.
1. Part One

_Whenever your world starts crashing down_  
_That's where you'll find me._

* * *

Logan noticed the difference in their town within days.

There was something in the air; a tense, terrifying feeling, something that could be seen and felt from miles away. A smile and conversation with a neighbor in the morning became a soft mumbled hello. No one walked the streets at night any more.

There was something there. Logan didn't know what it was, but he felt it, and that was enough.

x

"Are you gonna eat that?" Carlos asks him during lunch, through a mouthful of food.

Logan blinks to shake the thoughts away, then places the sandwich on the boy's tray. "No, here."

Carlos chews thoughtfully, staring at him. The cafeteria is never quiet and today is no different but Logan feels uneasy. It's like he can hear each specific conversation, because he knows what everyone is talking about.

"Did something happen?" Carlos asks, suddenly very serious. "Did something happen with -" he shifts, glancing around himself, but they're alone at their table. "You know?"

Sometimes Logan hates how Carlos can read him like a book. They've been best friends for as long as he can remember so this is not surprising, but it still manages to be frustrating.

Logan swallows, glancing around too before he answers. He can't help it, it's become a habit.

"Not to anyone I know personally," he responds and he can clearly see Carlos' shoulders relax.

"Okay? Well -"

"But," Logan pauses, still shaken up, "My neighbors said they saw something last night."

"What?" Carlos asks immediately, leaning forward with his hands on the table. "What did they see?"

Logan shushes him immediately and Carlos rolls his eyes. "No one is listening," he says, "and if something really did happen last night, everyone already knows about it."

Logan clenches his jaw, because it's true. It's no wonder he's been getting weird looks around the school.

"My neighbors.. they saw something walking around my house last night."

Carlos' eyes are huge now, and he's frozen in his seat. "Wh -"

"They said so. They told my mom, I heard them talking about it this morning," Logan explains, and Carlos doesn't let him finish.

"What did they say? What was it, a person? What -"

Carlos shuts up and just stares, waiting.

Logan doesn't know how else to phrase it, so he just kind of says it.

"They don't know what it was but.. They told my mom it didn't look human."

x

People kept disappearing.

It was terrifying to go to school and not know who would be missing next. They were always the quieter ones, the ones that probably wouldn't be noticed right away. But Logan did. He noticed every time.

He kept a notebook with the names of the teenagers who were missing. This was probably not the smartest thing to do considering the police were always on the lookout for new suspects, but it was for his own research purposes.

Logan tried to find connections between the people who were taken. Four girls, three boys. All different ages, none of them seniors. He stayed up for hours with his computer, researching, just trying to understand.

x

"Do you think they'll come back tonight?" Carlos asks later that night, splayed out on Logan's bed.

Logan had almost refused when Carlos had asked to sleep over that evening, but he can never say no to that boy. He knew Carlos' parents were usually gone during the weekends and he didn't like to be alone. Plus, everything was so terrifying now, Logan hated the thought of Carlos being away from him.

"I don't know, 'Los," he replies from the floor, sitting against the wall and playing with the pillow in his lap.

Carlos blinks his big eyes and watches him lazily. "What if they come back and we don't know it?"

"I don't want to know."

"That's such a lie," Carlos answers and he sits up, pillow in his lap. "I know you're just as curious as I am."

They're silent for a moment, Logan desperately trying to find something else for them to talk about, when Carlos asks, "Why would they even _come_ here?"

"I don't _know_, Carlos," Logan snaps, clenching his fists. He calms down and begins to feel guilty when he sees how wide Carlos' eyes have gotten. He whispers, "I just don't know, okay?"

Carlos slithers off the bed and sits down next to him on the floor. Logan swallows hard, looking into his eyes.

"Hey," Carlos says softly, getting closer still, "It's okay to be scared, y'know?"

Logan nods his head, but he can feel himself blush. "I know, but I hate it. I want to find out what's happening, I want to be stronger than this so that I can _do_ something about it."

Carlos touches his hand, a sweet gesture meant to comfort him but it makes Logan's heart jump. His stomach suddenly hurts.

"You can't fix everything, Logan," he says quietly.

But Logan wants. He _wants_ to fix everything. His skin tingles where Carlos is still touching him and he feels nauseous, because _this_ is what he wants. He doesn't care if whatever is out there ruins him, but he will never let it touch Carlos. The thought alone makes him want to scream. He wants to hug Carlos and keep him close and never let him go, protect him from the world. That is what he wants.

"I know, but I can try."

x

Logan is at his locker the following Monday when he hears about the next girl who has gone missing. People around him speak about it in hushed tones, as if it's some huge secret, as if this is completely unexpected.

This is the eighth disappearance, and the first one of this month. The girl's name is Jo, and Logan didn't know her very well but the rest of the school did. His stomach churns because this doesn't seem to be normal. Usually, the person missing is gone for days before anyone begins to notice. By the sound of it, there are search parties all over the county already, looking specifically for her.

Was this a mistake? Were they – whatever they were – beginning to lose focus? Or worse, was Jo never meant to be taken in the first place?

Logan slams his locker closed and ignores the weird looks coming his way as he heads to the library.

X

Logan likes to think of the library as a sanctuary. There are only a handful of kids that have the same study hall as him, so he always has the back corner table to himself. Usually there are books scattered all over the table, a mess of notes and scribbles.

But this time he was looking through his school's most recent yearbook.

Since it isn't his property, Logan refuses to write in it like everyone else. So instead he uses sticky notes. He presses a sticky note over Jo's pretty face and scribbles down everything he can think of on it.

_Sophomore, fifth girl, only blonde, lots of friends?_

He jumps when he hears the sudden a sound of a chair scraping against the floor, and then a lanky blonde kid is sitting across from him, a serious look on his face.

Logan doesn't know Kendall as well as he used to. They were closer when they were younger, during their middle school years. Now Logan just sees him every once in a while in the halls – always taking in his tired, intense eyes. Logan specifically remembers when Kendall had missed an entire week of school this year, and he had been so worried but unable to go looking for him. It would have been weird to pry into his life like that. But Logan still thought about Kendall from time to time, he couldn't help it.

Logan tries to close the yearbook in the smoothest way possible but Kendall already has his hand on it, taking it away from Logan before he even says a word.

"Uh? Hi -"

Kendall barely glances at the sticky note before his eyes lock on Logan's again. Logan would probably have flailed backwards in surprise if he wasn't sitting down.

"What do you know about all of this?" Kendall asks him.

Logan doesn't know how to respond without making it completely obvious that he knows a lot.

So instead he asks, "About what?"

Kendall stares at him, incredibly unimpressed. "You know exactly what I'm talking about."

Logan sighs and scratches at the back of his neck. "Okay, but what makes you think that I know anything?"

"Because I know you," Kendall answers without a beat. "I know that you worry about people you don't even know, and I know that you're always looking for new things to learn about. So why wouldn't this interest you?"

Logan swallows, already losing this fight. "Um -"

"I saw you check out four books on mythology last week," Kendall states and his eyebrows shoot up when Logan stares at him in disbelief.

"What, are you _stalking_ me now?"

Kendall rolls his eyes. "We're always in the library together, all I had to do was glance over. Quit changing the subject."

"Why are you so interested?" Logan asks, taking the yearbook from Kendall's hands as if he owns it. He tenses when he realizes how strong Kendall's grip is and nearly slams his back on the chair when Kendall finally lets go.

Kendall stares at him, setting his hands down on the table gently and breathing in through his nose, trying to calm himself down. Logan is confused but very intrigued – he hasn't talked to Kendall in months, and this is the first thing that he brings up?

"I'm interested because I'm not as smart as you are," is what Kendall says and Logan is even more confused now. It must be obvious on his face though because Kendall continues.

"I want to know what's happening, and I don't have the skills that you have. You see things clearly, and you always know where to look for the answers. I'm dumb even when it comes to studying for finals, you know that."

"Yes, I know that," Logan admits and Kendall almost looks offended. "But -"

"Logan," Kendall says, soft but stern and it shuts Logan right up.

"Please."

And Logan sighs, because there's no point in trying to hide it anymore. He knows he can trust Kendall, and only good things can come out of telling someone. He hasn't even told Carlos, which is so odd to think about.

"Right now I'm trying to find a connection between all the missing people," he says, quietly, glancing around himself and Kendall stops him immediately.

"No one is listening. They're all studying. Talk to me."

Logan sighs and continues, louder this time. "Okay. So far, I haven't found any connection. They're all just young people that aren't usually noticed -"

"Except for Jo," Kendall adds and Logan nods.

"Yes, exactly."

"Do you think they got her by accident?"

Logan hesitates, then asks, "How do you know it's 'they'?"

Kendall leans forward on the table. His eyes are are a piercing green. "You tell me. You know where all the victims were right before they were taken, right?"

Logan nods. "Well, yeah. They were all within the border of the town, and none of them were near each other."

"And they happen in bunches," Kendall adds. "They took the last three about a month ago. Now Jo is gone, they're gathering their next batch."

Logan feels his hands begin to shake, the excitement of finally learning something new flowing into his veins. "So there's more than one, more than two, even?"

"I don't know exactly, but I know they're working together, they must be."

"What do you think they _are_?" Logan asks and that is the question Kendall has clearly been waiting for, because his entire demeanor changes. His eyes grow wider, it seems, his fingers clenching into fists. Logan can taste his curiosity.

"They're not human."

"I know, I know that," Logan answers, waving it off. It's _terrifying_ that he's completely aware of that. "But they're definitely not puppies. They're smart, they know exactly what they're doing and how to get away with it."

"Do you think they're some sort of half human, half – something?" Kendall asks, nearly leaning over the table. His tone is hushed now and Logan wants to grin because they seem to be getting somewhere. Once they get past their disagreements, it's always smooth sailing in their conversations.

"I don't know, I think they could be," Logan replies, reaching into his bag and shuffling through papers as he speaks. "When the police reported the last crime over the scanner -"

"You own a _police scanner_?" Kendall asks, baffled.

" - They, yes, they talked about seeing some sort of prints on the ground where one of the disappearances took place," he explains, sliding over the sheet of paper he was looking for. On it is exactly what he heard over the radio, in his scrambled handwriting.

Kendall's eyes move over the sheet of paper within seconds. "They saw _paw prints_? Where? There's no snow to leave prints on."

Logan takes the sheet of paper, pointing at the words as he reads them out loud, "'Big, messy prints on the _grass._' Which means they were strong enough to dig into the soil."

"Jesus Christ," Kendall mumbles, leaning back into his chair. He looks distressed and Logan sort of feels bad. "So that's why you took the mythology books?"

"Well, yeah," Logan says, flushing because it's probably stupid to look so deep into something so dumb, but Kendall is nodding, so he continues.

"That's probably why that part wasn't announced to the public," Logan explains, "It's not believable. He said they were messy and it's nearly impossible to find prints on grass -"

"So they're a pack," Kendall says, instantly, and Logan stops talking, so confused.

"A pack?"

"Christ," Kendall murmurs again and his eyes are wide, looking terrified and Logan is about to ask again when the bell rings and Kendall is up, swinging his bag over his shoulder.

"Kendall, a pack of what?" Logan demands, standing and going after him when he starts to leave.

"Look, Logan, I'll explain it to you soon, okay?" he says, turning to look at him. He spews the words out, like he has zero time to talk about this right now.

"I'll stop by your house later, and we'll talk," he finishes, in an extreme hurry and Logan is confused and furious, his jaw clenched. Kendall turns to run out then turns around again as he reaches the door of the library.

"And make sure Carlos is with you."


	2. Part Two

It's eight o'clock when a dark car parks outside of Logan's house.

Logan doesn't trust it immediately, because he definitely doesn't remember Kendall ever driving a nice car like that but Carlos pulls him out of the house as soon as they park.

"But they could be anyone," Logan protests.

"Trust me, it's them," Carlos answers and Logan sends him a look before the passenger window rolls down and Kendall pops his head out.

He smiles and says, "Get in, come on."

They hurry into the car and Logan is ashamed to admit that he jumps when he sees who is driving. He has never seen this man before but he's tall, big and ultimately terrifying, even with the small smile on his face.

"Logan, this is James," Kendall introduces, and the guy waves his fingers at him. Logan nods in his direction with a tight smile, still sort of weirded out. He has no idea where they're headed and why James has to be brought along. He looks over to Carlos and is surprised to see that the boy is calm and relaxed next to him, looking out the window as the car begins to move.

"James was nice enough to offer us a quiet place where we can talk," Kendall explains, looking at the man. James glances over at Kendall as he begins to drive, an amused but sweet look in his eyes and Logan can clearly see Kendall's cheeks flare up in a blush.

He's still confused, but at least now he understands why James is driving two random teenagers around in his car. He's completely whipped.

"Awesome," Carlos replies, smiling, and James smiles back at him. Logan doesn't understand how they know each other.

The rest of the car ride is silent, and it's comfortable but Logan is still on edge. He's grateful for the quiet place they'll have to talk, but he's not sure what it is they want to talk about so desperately.

When James begins to drive through the woods, Logan starts to become concerned.

"Where are we headed, exactly?"

James looks at him through the rear view mirror. Smiling, he answers, "My house."

Logan blinks and James asks, "Is that okay?"

He nods his head but isn't able to actually respond because the car comes to a sudden halt. Him and Carlos fly forward until their seat belts bring them back.

"What -"

He can't say anything else, can't even breathe because everyone in the car is suddenly dead silent, not moving.

He looks straight ahead and sees what everyone is looking at. There's someone standing in front of their car, a girl with blonde, messy hair, on the dirt path by herself.

Logan begins to get nervous tremors because there's no way that this could be normal. The girl takes a step forward, closer to James' headlights and he suddenly recognizes her - _Jo_.

"_Holy_ -"

Kendall watches her for a few seconds, then turns around in his seat, urgently locking eyes with Logan. "Logan, I need you to listen to me."

Logan can barely look at him, his gaze too intense. He can see that James is fuming, his shoulders rising with each breath he takes.

Kendall's voice is whispered but rushed as he says, "When I tell you to, you are going to grab Carlos, get out of this car and_ run_, do you hear me?"

Carlos is nodding immediately, already unbuckling his seat belt. Kendall doesn't even blink, his voice urgent and hushed as he repeats, "Do you hear me?"

Then James says quietly, "Kendall."

They all look forward slowly and watch the girl, the suspense rising, and within seconds Jo is jumping on the hood of the car on all fours, denting the metal. Her face is primal and she snarls at them, her eyes a piercing gold color. Logan has never seen something so terrifying, and that's when he realizes - she's not _human_.

"_Run!_" Kendall shouts and Logan hasn't reached the door handle yet when something lands on top of the car, denting the roof so its nearly touching their heads.

"Fucking_ go_!"

Logan freezes in shock and Carlos unbuckles his seat belt for him. He swings open the car door and is pulling Logan out of the car before he can even try to catch his breath.

Logan is trembling when Carlos finally lets him go, and he starts to run because he doesn't know what else to do. Carlos yells, "Don't look back!" But he can't not and -

All he can hear is growling; loud, feral growls as James pulls the man off the top of his car and throws him onto the ground with an incredibly loud noise, grabbing him by the throat. Kendall slams Jo against a tree, holds her down as she tries to fight back and the growl he releases makes Logan's hair stand on end. He watches as Kendall's green eyes turn into a glowing gold under the moonlight, his fangs glistening as he hisses.

James looks up at Logan, can sense him watching, and his face is completely different. There is fur lining his features, his jaw and forehead covered in it. He's trying to hold the man down but is clearly struggling with it, and Logan can see James' fangs when he growls, "_Go!_"

And Logan turns and starts to run, fast enough that he loses sight of himself. All he can see is Carlos running ahead of him, the trees whipping past them and he can feel the branches snap against his arms. He can't breathe, running so fast with nowhere to go and he tries to stop his thoughts so he doesn't end up heaving.

Logan doesn't know how far they have gone when his legs begin to feel weak. He trips on the ground they're running on easily and lands on all fours, his hands digging into the dirt as he tries to catch his breath.

He can hear Carlos stop moving ahead of him and within seconds he's running back, kneeling in front of Logan.

"Come on, we have to keep going," Carlos pants, grabbing at his arms and trying to lift him up.

Logan shrugs him off, saying, "Where are we running to?"

Carlos licks his lips and stares at him. "I don't know," he answers, "But we have to -"

"How long have you known about all of this?" Logan asks, still panting, and suddenly he's furious, glaring at the boy. Carlos flinches.

"Logan -"

"Did you think I wasn't going to find out? Are you in some weird, secret pact with Kendall now? Did -"

"Logan, please," Carlos begs, pulling at his arms, "I'll explain everything to you, we all will, just -"

"No, I want to _know_ -"

They hear a growl coming from behind them, not too far away, and Carlos stands immediately, hoisting Logan up from the ground like he weighs nothing and yells, "Get up, we have to _move_!"

Logan trips over himself but he starts to run again, surprised because he's never seen Carlos be this intense about anything before. He's angry and feels betrayed, but he gets butterflies when he thinks about how fast Carlos moves when it comes to saving him.

Carlos says, "Don't stray, okay?" And he links their fingers together for a second, connecting them as they run.

Logan squeezes his hand in a silent apology because he has no idea what could be after them or what they could want, but he just wants Carlos to know that he's not angry, he's hurt. And that is something they can fix. Carlos lets go, hesitating, but he continues to run and Logan is at his heels.

He can't hear the growling anymore but they don't stop, they can't, Logan's heart feeling like it's going to burst out of his chest in any minute. He can taste blood in the back of his throat, his legs throbbing.

Then they hear a loud, "Hey!"

They both look towards the voice, stopping in their tracks and Logan's legs buckle under him when he sees that it's James' car ahead of them on the dirt road, Kendall's head popping out of the window again.

"Fuck," Logan whispers, closing his eyes. He breathes so hard that his vision blurs, wiping the dirt off his face with the back of his hand. Carlos wraps an arm around his waist to lift him up again and says, "It's okay, I've got you," against his ear, before helping him to the car, Logan clinging to his shirt.

* * *

**A/N:** You're all lovely humans. Thank you! Reviews make me want to update faster. :)


	3. Part Three

The car ride to James' house is short and uncomfortable. Carlos asks them if they're okay and Kendall asks the same question but Logan is silent and can't look at any of them. He's tense and stuck in his own head. He can't move correctly since the top of the car is still dented above them.

James parks outside of a big, two story house and Logan is sort of shocked. He didn't expect James to live in a shack, but he definitely didn't expect a house this beautiful. Carlos touches his arm to try and see if he's okay but Logan ignores him, opening the door and stepping out.

James watches him with this sincere, quiet gaze and Logan wants to punch him, but God knows James would beat him into a pulp. He doesn't even know who this guy _is_.

"Let's go inside," James says softly when Logan doesn't look at him, and they all start heading in. Carlos walks slowly, turning around to try and catch Logan's gaze but Logan won't give him that chance.

The inside of James' home is even more beautiful. There isn't much furniture, but the pieces that he has are just enough to make it cozy. Artwork covers the walls, beautiful sculptures in one of the sitting rooms. Logan blinks, taking it all in.

James walks into another room and Kendall looks at Logan, staring. Then he says, "Let me clean those up for you," and turns to walk up the stairs, slowly. Logan is convinced he's trying to act human around him and it's more than mildly annoying.

Logan doesn't know what Kendall's talking about until he looks down and notices the scratches on his arms. Some of them are deep, with blood caked over then and he has welts from the thicker branches snapping against his arms. The adrenaline must have taken over him, because they don't start hurting until he actually sees them.

"C'mon," Carlos says softly next to him, and reaches his hand out. Logan wants to take it. His mind is screaming, begging for it because he feels so alone and Carlos always fixes it when he feels this way, but he can't. It hurts, but he can't. He walks into the next room, ignoring the boy and he can hear Carlos' sharp intake of breath next to him. He's hurt now, too.

The next room is like a living room, Logan assumes, though there's no television. There are various couches though, a nice rug and a huge bookshelf. The fireplace isn't burning but it stands there beautifully. Logan takes the room in and he can smell incense of some kind burning.

"You can sit," James says quietly and that's when Logan notices that James is sitting on one of the arm chairs, watching him. Logan doesn't know what else to do so he sits on the floor. He doesn't want to feel at home in this place. He wants to leave and never come back.

Kendall comes into the room holding a first aid kit and a bottle of hydrogen peroxide. He sits down next to Logan without a word and takes out a sanitary wipe to clean up his wounds. Logan flinches away instinctively when Kendall reaches out for his arm.

The room is nearly silent now and Kendall watches him, his green eyes taking in Logan's face. He looks tired, and so sad.

"Logan.. I'm not going to hurt you," he says softly. He sounds so devastated.

Logan takes in a shaky breath and stares at him. Quietly, he says, "I don't even know who you are anymore."

Kendall swallows, his throat thick with something he can't name and he flinches, a slight movement that only Logan notices. He sets down the sanitary wipe and looks at his hands, playing with his fingers.

"I didn't want you to find out like this," he says, looking up at Logan again. "I wanted.." he pauses, trying to find the right words. "I wanted to build up our trust again, first."

Logan doesn't realize that he's shaking until he speaks. He clenches his fists and asks the question that scares him the most. "What are you?"

He feels so fucking stupid, being the only one in the room who has no idea what is going on. He's never been on this side of any situation and it's embarrassing. It's embarrassing that even his best friend knew, and never bothered to tell him.

Kendall takes in a shaky breath and looks over at James for support, not knowing what to say. But James just watches him, waiting. They're all waiting.

"I'm.." he starts, then blurts it out, "I'm a werewolf."

Logan thinks his heart must have sunk into his stomach because he suddenly wants to vomit. He knew Kendall was something, obviously, but he never imagined that it would be something like this. He shakes his head in disbelief, staring at the boy in front of him.

To Logan, werewolves are fictional characters. They were in the books he read as a child, in the movies his father watched, in the mindless TV shows his mother enjoys. He doesn't know what to say.

"I know it's hard to take in," Kendall says quickly, as if that could take back what he said, "And I know you probably don't even believe me but."

"And the others?" Logan asks, looking at James when Kendall looks down. "Those things that attacked us, are they -?"

James nods. "Yeah. They're part wolf too."

Logan grinds his teeth together, jaw clenched as he looks at his best friend. Carlos looks like he wants to cry.

"And you knew about all of this?"

Carlos takes in a shaky breath but he nods, his eyes filling with tears. "Yeah, Logan. I knew."

"Why didn't you tell me?" Logan asks, exasperated now. "You knew how scared I was, how long I've been trying to figure all of this out!"

Carlos gets off the couch to get near him, on his knees now. "Logan, I just wanted to protect you," he swears, coming closer and Logan wants to back away from him. "Please, you know I would never keep anything from you."

"But you did," Logan says, his voice cracking and he can't believe how furious and upset he's getting. Carlos nearly bursts into tears and says, "I was just trying to _help_."

"Carlos found out about the others first and then he came to me," James says and they all turn to look at him. His voice is loud, demanding attention.

Logan is so confused, again, and he turns to Carlos. "How did you find out about them?"

Carlos looks like a sad puppy. Logan pushes away any thoughts of hugging him.

"I-I looked into the history of the town," he explains, swallowing hard. "I found out about the Diamonds so I just assumed it had something to do with them."

Logan squints. "The Diamonds?"

James takes in a deep breath. "My family owns these woods," he begins, settling into the couch. "Werewolves have been a part of this town and these woods for centuries now, thanks to them."

"So you're.. James Diamond?" Logan asks.

"Yes," James answers. "Carlos went to the town library to find records of past crimes and found out that I'm the last Diamond alive."

"It wasn't that easy," Carlos continues, looking guilty. "I had to bribe a lot of people to see those files."

"I still don't understand how you found out they were werewolves," Logan says, staring. He hisses when Kendall presses the wipe on one of his scratches, the pain stinging. He glares at the blonde boy and Kendall completely ignores him, continuing with his work.

Carlos sighs, relaxing on the floor. "Well, I knew they had to be beasts of some sort. And looking through those files, I found out that there used to be animal-like humans all over the town, and I took in that information and found mythology books that matched the creatures and then I just.. Guessed."

Logan's eyebrows shoot up. "You guessed?"

"Sort of, yeah," Carlos says softly, and he looks innocent again, like the Carlos Logan knows so well. He really wants to hug him.

"So then I found out about the Diamonds, who were basically a family of wolves, and I thought they were all dead until I found out about James," Carlos says, glancing at the man.

James nods, recollecting the story. "I knew that whatever was happening in the town would eventually reach me, but I didn't know that it would affect me this much."

Kendall puts a hand on James' knee and James covers it with his own, squeezing. Logan looks away, the moment too intimate for his eyes. Carlos watches Logan, trying to lock their eyes but Logan doesn't know if he can do that yet.

"What do you mean by affect you?" Logan asks, looking at James again when Kendall returns to cleaning his skin.

James is silent for a few seconds, trying to find a good answer to that question. "Werewolves have always been around, but it's been years, decades, even, since I've heard of a new pack."

Logan watches him, waiting.

"These woods have always been the property of my family," James continues, sitting up straighter. "They're gone now, and since then the only wolves that have passed by this part of the woods have been people that I know. And they have never been within a pack."

Logan is both impressed and saddened that James can speak about his family being gone so easily; it must be old wounds, something that becomes usual after a while. Logan can't help but feel sorrow for him. It also interests him that James calls the werewolves 'people'.

"What's so bad about a pack?" Logan asks and he can tell it's a stupid question because Kendall makes a huffing noise next to him. Logan nudges at him and Kendall presses down on a welt in retaliation. Logan hisses.

Carlos is the one who answers. "If they are traveling by pack, that means they're stronger. They have a group they can rely on if anything gets in their way," he explains, "It also means that they have a plan."

"A plan for what?"

"We don't know," James answers and he looks different now. Uneasy. Logan feels uncomfortable.

"But it can't be a good plan, if they're mixed in with the kidnappings," he continues, squeezing his fingers together. "But these two that attacked us, they're just." James looks distressed and he stands up, pacing around the room. Kendall has his eye on him, ready to pounce if he has to. _Literally_, Logan thinks.

"What?"

James is silent, trying to find the right words. "They're _young_. They're basically children."

"They're not that young," Logan insists, "They're were all in high school."

"No, I mean they have only been werewolves for a few weeks. Maybe even just _days_."

Logan must look as confused as he feels because James continues to explain. "The younger they are, the less control they have of the wolf," he says and Logan can almost feel the passion in his voice when he talks about this. "So these crimes could be happening just because no one is able to control their betas."

"Or no one is _trying_ to," Kendall murmurs under his breath but James hears him because he tenses, his fists clenching. Logan doesn't understand anything anymore.

"Uh," Logan says, mouth open. "Betas?"

Kendall sighs like he doesn't have patience for this and James shoots him a look. Almost instantly, Kendall shuts up and continues with his work, wrapping a bandage over Logan's worst cut. _Whoa._

"We'll explain everything to you soon," James says when the moment has passed. "Right now, you two can't be here," he glances at Carlos as well, crossing his arms, "They attacked for the first time with no clear reason, so this is not a safe place for you to be until we learn more about them."

Logan nods and stands up, noticing his legs are still vibrating from before. Carlos stands but hesitates on leaving. He asks, "So we're just supposed to ignore that this happened?"

"Yes," James answers with no hesitation and he begins walking out of the room. They all follow because it's his house, but also because Logan feels a connection towards him. He can't explain it, but he feels like he can trust James. It's terrifying.

"But what if they come back?" Carlos asks and it's clear that he's worried. His eyes are big like they get when he wants answers and knows he won't get them right away. Logan allows himself to brush their fingers together.

James turns around. They all watch him, waiting for his response. It's like the ground shakes when he looks at them. Then he smiles, endearing but still strong. Logan's pretty sure Kendall swoons next to him.

"My priority right now is to protect you two," he says, his smile fading away to something more serious. Logan swallows. "You know a lot, probably more than you should. And now they know that you've been around us. We can't be too sure about what they'll want from you."

Carlos links their fingers together and Logan squeezes back. He's shaking again. He has no idea what he has been brought into. He has so many questions, he could probably explode from that alone. The curiosity eats away at him but it also terrifies him; not knowing means not being prepared. How can he be strong when he has no idea what to expect?

"What could they want from us?" Logan asks and he can't hide how afraid he is. His voice shakes when he speaks. He doesn't have it in him to be ashamed.

James takes a deep breath in, and then he looks straight at Logan. His stance is relaxed but strong. Fearless.

"It doesn't matter, because I will protect you."

* * *

**A/N:** I hope this answered a few questions and raised some new ones. :)


	4. Part Four

_tell me once again that you'll love me till the death,  
__and should I die, __you swear that you will come for me._

* * *

"I just don't understand why you didn't tell me about this."

They had to sneak back into Logan's house once James dropped them off. Logan's parents had no idea they had left earlier and Logan really didn't want his mother to see the new bandages wrapped around his arms. She would probably go insane with worry and never let him leave the house again.

Carlos lies next to him on the bed. It's become a usual thing for them to sleep there together; Carlos hated being alone and Logan never admits it, but he hates it just as much. It's comforting to have someone lie next to him every weekend, especially after a week of being alone and especially after all of these new conflicts in his life.

Carlos blinks at him but never shies away from his gaze. He seems more confident now that everything is out in the open.

"I've only known about it for a few weeks. I didn't think it was right to tell you without them being around."

Logan squints at him. "Why?"

Carlos shrugs, "Because they know a lot more than I do. I know they didn't explain much to you today, but they will soon."

They're silent for a few moments before Carlos says, "We need to go back there."

Logan gets a look of horror on his face. "Why do we need to back? You heard James. He told us to stay away."

"James isn't always right," Carlos argues and Logan huffs.

"Yeah, but he's clearly the one that knows what's best for us. I don't feel safe going back there without his permission."

Carlos goes quiet. He shifts on the mattress until they're a bit closer. Logan swallows hard and tries to focus on what Carlos is about to say but he can feel his hands beginning to shake with the want to reach out.

"I think James is hiding something really important from us. I don't know what it could be but," Carlos says, softly, like it's a secret, "It really worries me."

"What makes you think that?" Logan asks, intrigued and scared all at once.

"I don't think it was normal for him to shoo us away from his house like that," Carlos explains. "I know he put up a front saying that he wanted to protect us but.. Protect us from _what_?"

Logan raises an eyebrow. "Maybe the two werewolves that tried to kill us?"

"But they didn't try to kill us, Logan. If they wanted to kill us, they would have done it," Carlos says seriously. Logan's stomach churns.

"It just makes me wonder what they could want from us," Carlos finishes. He starts playing with the edge of his pillow, tugging at the material to try and hide his nerves.

"Look," Logan says softly and he tries not to flinch when Carlos actually does look up, locking their gaze. "Maybe we should just wait a bit. I know that you're anxious about all of this but it won't be worth the hurry if something bad happens."

If he's being honest, he doesn't really mind being in danger. Yes, it's ultimately terrifying but he can deal with pain and being afraid. He just knows he won't be able to handle it if anything happens to Carlos. He would do absolutely anything to keep Carlos out of harms way, and if that means following him into the woods again, then so be it. It would be worth it in the end.

Carlos smiles at Logan and squeezes his hand. Logan hopes that his full body shiver goes unnoticed. "Okay. We can wait a few days."

x

Logan doesn't know when he first fell in love with Carlos. He doesn't remember the exact moment, or the day, or even the month.

He just knows that gradually, taking care of Carlos became his priority. He has stayed up for hours helping Carlos study for his Chemistry exams, has helped him bake enormous amounts of brownies for the theater group he's in. He remembers when Carlos' smile began to give him goosebumps; remembers when Carlos' mouth started to make his stomach and chest hurt.

Logan would do anything to keep that smile on Carlos' face. Would do anything to see his eyes light up with happiness. Would sacrifice anything for him. Would die for him.

If only Carlos knew how much Logan depended on his well-being. When it comes down to it, that is all that matters. His safety, his sweet smile, his caring hands.

Logan would do anything for him.

x

It's only a few days later when Carlos starts to become antsy. He can't sit still, his knee bouncing under tables, fingers tapping against every surface they touch. It's driving Logan nuts.

He covers Carlos' twitching hand for what seems like the seventh time that morning, stilling him. Carlos looks up, surprised, as if he doesn't know what the problem is. His face softens when he realizes and he stammers out a soft, "Sorry."

Logan takes a deep breath in. He's annoyed but he can never hold a grudge against him. "It's okay."

They're quiet for a few moments until Carlos closes his sketch book and exclaims, "I can't wait anymore."

Logan looks around the art room in case anyone is listening but most students have their headphones in or are doing actual work. Lucky them.

"Carlos, we were -"

"Attacked by werewolves, I understand, but -"

"Carlos!" he hisses, eyes wide.

"We can't just sit here like it didn't happen, Logan!" Carlos nearly yells and Logan shushes him because people are staring now. He can't blame them.

"Okay, you need to settle down," Logan says softly, covering Carlos' hand with his. He can practically see the tension ooze out of Carlos' body and he hopes his face isn't as red as it is hot.

"If you keep freaking out like this, we're not gonna get anything done," Logan finishes and Carlos starts to look frustrated again immediately.

"Oh, and sitting here is getting something done?"

Logan squeezes his hand, trying to calm him down again. "No, but you freaking out about it isn't going to help us, either."

Carlos exhales loudly but slowly. He looks at Logan for a few more seconds before he takes his hand away and opens up his sketch book to start doodling again.

"I just don't understand what we're waiting for."

Logan chews on his lip. He has no idea why they're waiting, either.

"Kendall has only spoken to me twice since then and he refuses to talk about any of this on school property," Carlos continues and his sketch starts to become more violent, his pencil digging into the paper. "I just don't get it."

Logan plays with the piece of charcoal in his hand. His fingers are dark and messy.

"So you really want to go back there?" Logan asks. He knows what the answer will be but that doesn't mean he's not afraid of it.

"Yes," Carlos says without hesitation. He puts down his pencil and says, "I'm going back as soon as possible. And I want you to come with me but if you don't want to, that's okay. I'll go by myself."

Logan stares at him and Carlos just stares back, not holding anything back anymore. He's completely serious and it makes Logan's chest ache. He's scared to go back there but he knows that Carlos won't let up about it, so the decision has been made.

"I'm not letting you go back there alone."

x

Carlos decides that they're leaving that afternoon after school. They're taking his car so they'll have a quick getaway in case things get ugly. It should make Logan feel better, to have this sort of protection around them at all times until they reach James, but just the fact that they have to take this precaution makes him nervous.

Logan leaves his bag in his room and hears Carlos honking outside seconds later. This boy could not be any more impatient. He flips Carlos off as he walks towards the car and the boy smiles at him but he isn't relaxed or happy, Logan can tell.

"You alright?" Logan asks as he closes the door behind him, putting on his seat belt. Carlos nods stiffly but doesn't start driving yet, which is unusual for him.

Logan watches him and waits.

"I'm.." Carlos starts and then his voice catches. He clears his throat and looks at Logan, tries to laugh it off gently. "I'm nervous."

Logan can't admit that he's afraid. He knows that he needs to be the strong one here, as always, and he covers Carlos' hand that's resting on the gear shift and squeezes.

"I know. But you said so yourself," Logan says, smiling softly, "We'll be okay."

Carlos nods and smiles, a little tight but a smile nonetheless before he puts the car on drive with Logan's hand still on top of his, and they're on their way.

X

_These woods will always terrify me_, Logan says to himself as they begin to approach the trees. He can't seem to forget what happened the last time they were in a situation like this and it makes him so nervous he could actually vomit. He glances over at Carlos and the boy is squeezing at the steering wheel like his life depends on it.

"It's alright," Logan murmurs and Carlos jumps, like he was in a trance. He looks over at Logan, says, "I know," and starts to speed up until they can't see anything but trees in front of them.

Logan begins to feel sick only seconds later and his body tenses. Carlos is driving really fast because he wants to get through the woods and reach safety and Logan clings to his arm rest and says, "Carlos." He feels something inside of him stir, like something is about to happen and he's never felt that before.

"What?" Carlos answers instantly, eyes wide as he glances over at him and Logan gasps and yells, "Carlos!"

Carlos doesn't see it in time – the other car driving towards them on the dirt path. It's coming faster than they can anticipate and Logan grabs onto Carlos' arm because that's all he can do and Carlos is absolutely silent as he swerves to the side and the other car slams into them full force, hitting the corner of the front bumper.

Logan loses it for a few seconds – has no idea what just happened, all he can feel is how hard their car slams into the trees next to him. He yells out in pain, his ears roaring as his head gets slammed against the window. His entire body seems to be trembling and he glances over at Carlos as soon as he can move his neck again.

"Los," Logan croaks and notices that he's still clinging to the boy's arm, nails digging into his skin. "Carlos," he says again, tugging at his arm and Carlos takes in a shaky breath, swallowing hard. There's a line of blood running down the side of his face and he's breathing heavily, his hands shaking as they grab onto whatever he can reach.

"Fuck," he says softly and Logan's breathing hitches, his eyes beginning to burn – he's so fucking grateful that Carlos is _okay_. He takes off his seat belt and reaches over to Carlos, ignoring the throbbing in his arms and neck, to touch him, cupping his jaw. "Are you alright, what hurts?" he asks and Carlos hisses when he tries to move.

"My leg," he answers softly, closing his eyes and Logan has to hold back a gasp when he looks down and sees how bloody Carlos' left leg is. The way they swerved made the car hit right where Carlos was sitting, his legs barely visible over all the dented metal.

How the hell were they _alive_?

An engine begins to roar and they look up to see the car that hit them begin to back away, taking most of the front bumper with them. Carlos grunts in pain, nails digging into Logan's arm as their car begins to shift. "Are they leaving?" Carlos asks, his eyes closed and Logan wishes he could say that yeah, they are, _we'll never see them again_.

He watches as the people get out of their car with ease. No limps, no blood in sight. They're smiling.

"Christ," Logan says under his breath. They aren't people.

"Get out of the car," the driver says, loud enough to hear over their closed doors and windows. Logan suddenly realizes that they aren't dead because that wasn't part of the plan. They wanted him and Carlos to be weak.

Carlos immediately reacts, trying to get his door open. Logan gives him an astounded look. "Carlos, no, you can barely _move _-"

Carlos looks at him, his jaw clenched. "We don't have a choice," he says softly, even though the werewolves can hear them clearly. "Let's get out and do this, okay? We have to." Carlos looks exhausted but not hopeless; he wants to put up a fight.

Logan has so many things he wants to say; he wants to yell at Carlos to stay here, _I'll fucking handle this_, he wants to yell for help as if James would be able to hear him, he wants to just stay in the car and be killed already, _at least we'll be together_.

Instead he watches as Carlos shoves at the crooked door until it breaks open and he's able to get out. He's breathing so hard, wincing as he tries to move his legs and Logan can only imagine the amount of pain he's in. It makes him want to cry.

"Los," Logan says, reaching out to help and the driver says, louder this time, "Get out of the car before we make you."

Logan looks up and sees them laughing, smirking at each other as if this is some great, big joke. The man who keeps speaking is _huge_ and Logan has never seen him before – the girl next to him is years younger than all of them but she stands as if she's been around for centuries.

Logan takes a deep breath in and shoves his door open; it isn't as damaged as Carlos' but it's still stuck. He tries to assess how hurt he is but aside from his head throbbing and his neck being incredibly stiff, he isn't that bad. It hurts him more to see the way Carlos has to cling to his broken car to take a few limping steps forward.

"Logan and Carlos," the man says in his booming voice and Logan's eyes widen. He has no idea how this man knows their names. He glances over at Carlos but he just looks angry; he's glaring at the man like he could just tear him apart.

"What do you want from us?" Carlos asks, trying to take a step forward and failing. It's like Logan can feel how exhausted and sore he is.

The man raises his eyebrows and says, "Wouldn't you like to know? You look a little tired, Los," Logan flinches at the use of his nickname, "Maybe you should take a seat."

"Go fuck yourself," Carlos spits and they both laugh at that. Logan, as usual, has no idea what the hell is going on.

"No need to be so angry," the girl says, taking a few steps forward. "We just want to talk."

"So _talk_," Carlos seethes and Logan barely has time to blink before the girl glares and swings, hitting Carlos' jaw and sending him reeling to the ground.

Something inside Logan snaps and he snarls, "Don't _touch_ him!" and he flies forward, ready to grab this lady by the hair and ruin her, but then he's being thrown, his back slamming against something hard and vicious.

He gasps for air, sliding down what feels like a tree and then a hand is at his throat, holding him there. The man stares at him, his eyes still a normal shade of brown but Logan knows what lies within him. Then he's smiling, slow and dark, a low chuckle rumbling out of him and Logan clenches his jaw hard enough to hurt.

The man glances back at Carlos, who's still on the ground, struggling to get up. Then he looks back at Logan, who is staring at Carlos with sad, worried eyes, and asks, "What do we have here?"

Logan's face heats up and he snarls a low, "Shut up."

The man's eyes widen and then he smiles again. "You're in love with him," he says and when Logan bares his teeth in anger, he laughs and lets him go. Logan gasps for air as he hits the ground, covering his throat with both hands. The man kicks his stomach while he's down and Logan heaves, watches as spit flies from his mouth at the force.

"This is going to be easier than we thought," the man says to the girl and she smiles wide, as if she knows exactly what he's talking about. Logan tries to sit up, still seeing black spots when he blinks and the werewolves are crowding over Carlos now, talking in low voices. Logan knows this can't be good but he's too weak to do anything, can barely breathe right and he's so angry that he can't protect Carlos. He always promised that he would and now look at what's happening.

He starts to crawl over to Carlos' body, his legs shaking too hard to stand. He feels hopeless and so weak, but he can't give up, not yet. "Please," he finds himself whispering. His body feels too heavy to move any further but he continues, like he's having a nightmare where he can't move properly but he must.

The man comes over towards him and his eyes are full of laughter, looking down at Logan's body. "Please what?" he asks, shoving Logan with his foot so he's on his back again. Logan doesn't fight it, just winces and lays there, tries to control his breathing.

"Don't hurt him," Logan says and he feels so pathetic when his eyes well up with tears. He can hear Carlos whimpering softly and it makes his insides ache. "Please, do whatever you want with me, but don't hurt him."

The man crouches down so Logan can see his face clearly. He looks at him with wonder, like Logan is something he has never seen before. "You have no idea, do you?" he murmurs and Logan doesn't have time to process what that could mean before the man moves away again.

Logan closes his eyes. He knows they can't win this one themselves and decides to give it a shot. He says, as softly as he can muster, "James."

He isn't surprised when nothing happens. Logan looks over at Carlos and finds him looking back, his eyes filled to the brim with tears. Carlos mouths _I'm sorry_ and Logan shakes his head, tries to sit up again but his body won't let him.

The man moves Carlos with his foot until he's on his back. Logan can't stop shaking, knows that if Carlos had any strength he would be doing anything to get away from that man. There's dried up blood on his head and his leg and this is not the way that this should end. Logan chokes back a sob and says again, "Please."

The man smiles at Logan and says, "Don't worry, Mitchell. I won't hurt him." Then he raises his foot and slams it down on Carlos' ribs.

Logan can't hold the back the scream that is ripped out of his body. It echoes through the trees and he can hear the werewolves laughing as they run away, leaving the car and both boys behind.

"No, no, no," Logan keeps repeating and he's nearly hysterical now – he doesn't feel any pain as he stumbles over to Carlos' body, grabbing at his bloody clothes and straddling his waist. Carlos' chest is heaving as he tries to take in full breaths, his eyes wide. The blood begins to spew out of his mouth, clinging to his teeth and running down his cheek. "No, please, no," Logan begins to sob, tearing off Carlos' shirt so he can see the damage.

His skin is purple, bruised where the monster slammed his foot and Logan runs his fingers over it, making Carlos gasp out louder. Logan cups Carlos' jaw and starts talking, he doesn't know what else to do and the words start spilling out like Carlos' blood.

"Please, please, baby, don't do this," he's gasping, clinging to Carlos' shoulders and jaw, holding onto his shaking arms. "I need you, I can't, I -"

Logan gasps out a sob and Carlos starts to cough, the blood coming faster now, he must be on the very edge. The tears run down his face and he kisses Carlos' forehead, his nose, his lips and admits, "I love you. I love you more than anything in this world, don't – don't leave me, I can't live without you."

He can taste blood on his lips and he doesn't even care, can't stop talking, can't stop touching him. Carlos' eyes are wide like he's listening but he can't speak back and Logan doesn't need him to, just keeps going. "Please, Los. You're everything I have, just hold on, please -"

"Logan!" he hears off in the distance and he immediately starts yelling back, "Here, over here!" His hands start to tremble, he has no idea who the hell could have heard him, unless -

"_Move_," James says and shoves him out of the way, Kendall right on his heels. Logan falls back but scrambles close again, clinging to Carlos' arm, squeezing his hand.

"What the hell happened?" James asks, his eyes wide as he looks over Carlos' injuries, leaning the boy's head back so he can breathe better through the blood.

"They – they came, I-I don't know who they were, they just, they attacked -"

"Logan!" Kendall exclaims, holding onto his shoulders and shaking him slightly. "We need to know what you're saying, calm down!"

"I can't calm down, he's _dying_!" Logan yells, shoving Kendall off of him. He can't stop crying and he clings to Carlos' body even though James told him to stay off. "Please, just take him to the hospital, take him away from here -"

"It's too late," James says, his voice stern and Logan feels bile rise up his throat. He swallows it down and manages, "No, he's still breathing, James, you need to do something!"

James looks bewildered, terrified and he looks at Kendall with a look that Logan doesn't understand. Kendall's eyes widen to comical proportions and he says, "James -"

"What? _What?_" Logan asks, hysterical because Carlos is beginning to tremble, small whimpering sounds leaving his mouth. "Can't you just -" Logan offers and then stops suddenly, trying to calm down his nerves as he asks, "Can't you turn him?"

James and Kendall can't say anything, too shocked to even say a word. "I know that you guys can heal yourselves, I'm not stupid. Please," Logan begs, the tears streaming down his face. "You have to save him, you have to -"

"Logan you don't understand the risk," Kendall starts, his eyes welling up with tears as well, "This could -"

"Kendall, I don't _care_," Logan yells, "If it saves his life, I don't care, just please, you need to help him!" he chokes, cupping Carlos' jaw again, taking in his big, faltering eyes. It feels like being kicked in the chest and he can barely breathe because he knows Carlos is almost gone.

Logan looks into James' eyes and begs, "Please. I'll do anything you want, just please, do this for me."

Something seems to click in James' mind and he nods once, quietly. Kendall's breathing hitches next to them and Logan sees that he's crying, the tears running down his face.

"Stay back," James says softly, pushing Logan off. He locks eyes with Kendall one last time before he bares his teeth. They're huge, vicious-looking and Logan can't hold back his startled gasp as James leans down and takes the first bite, right on Carlos' chest.

Carlos seems to cry out in pain, a small whining noise leaving his mouth and Logan squeezes his hand, kisses his fingers. Kendall closes his eyes as James bites Carlos again and again and Logan wants to ask why he keeps doing it. It's terrifying to see, terrifying to think that Carlos will become one of them, but nothing in this world feels better than when Carlos squeezes his hand, weak and gentle, but still there. Still alive.

* * *

_as i fade away, you reach out your arms._  
_please don't let me go._


End file.
